Official denies rights abuse

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Kohima, June 23: The Mokokchung administration has denied any violation of human rights in the district in connection with suspected flushing out of illegal immigrants by some groups.

Rebutting the claims of some human rights activists, Mokokchung deputy commissioner Muroho Chutso said the administration would not allow anyone to violate human rights. He said some students, led by the Ao Students’ Conference (ASC), had carried out operations against immigrants in the district from time to time but “there was no violation of human rights as claimed by Akash Chatterjee.”

Chatterjee, a member of a Delhi-based human rights organisation who is married to a Naga woman, has alleged that Indian citizens are harassed by the ASC, NSCN (Isak-Muivah) and the administration in the guise of flushing out immigrants from Mokokchung town. He said he had submitted a letter to the DC on June 19, informing him that the ASC and NSCN (Isak-Muivah) regularly raided the houses of genuine Indian citizens, extorted them and tortured them. He alleged that police escorted the raiders from 5am-6.30am. He said this was also conveyed to the DC.

Chatterjee alleged that when he conveyed the people’s grievances to the DC, the official misbehaved with him and asked him to leave the town. Sub-divisional officer (civil) Vikayo and additional deputy commissioner Chubawati Chang also asked him to apologise to the DC or face consequences. “They humiliated and insulted me and my Indian nationality,” he added.

Chatterjee said on June 20, one of his colleagues was arrested under Section 151 of Public Nuisance Act and he was taken along with him. He alleged that though he was released, a group of five armed persons entered his house at 12.20pm the same day and asked him to withdraw the complaint letter submitted to the DC against the students and apologise to the DC.

He alleged that the armed persons threatened to kill him, his daughter and his wife, who is from Mokokchung district. One of them “assaulted” him, put his kitchen machete on his two-year-old daughter, ransacked the house, damaged household articles and left after telling him to listen to them. They identified themselves as members of the Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim.

“I have lodged an FIR against the DC and Vikayo at Mokokchung police station,” Chatterjee said, adding that he would take up the matter with the National Human Rights Commission in New Delhi.

The DC said, “I know Akash Chatterjee has submitted an application to the district administration but I do not know about filing an FIR.”

Refuting the allegations, the DC said the NSCN (I-M) was not involved in harassing non-Naga Indian citizens residing in Mokokchung.